The Drake Hotel Review

The hotel was great, but very old. If you really like older hotels it is perfect for you.

Nice room. 2 bathrooms. Wow. Way over priced. Had to pay extra 50 dollars to just park the car over night or 70 dollars for valet. Never said anything when I booked it. Also had to put down extra money to cover any possible damages even though the room was prepaid on credit. Poor value for the money.

Old hotel, definitely in need of a upgrade!!!!! Great location, great ambiance.......

$700 dollars for a room that looks like it's for the help plus $50 a night to park. Never again

Great hotel that is still convenient to the loop, and yet closer to Wrigley. What can you not like about that. Normally stay at Palmer House. Drake is my new favorite of the Hilton properties in the loop

We were at the hotel St Patrick's day weekend. I have never stayed at a hotel that treats you so wonderfully. The staff was impeccable the bell men knew our family so quickly they made it a point to get to know us and allowed us to get to know them too it was like running into a long lost friend . The restaurants were delish the breakfast was top notch. I will never stay anywhere else in Chicago. And the view from the rooms and the accessibility to everything was perfect. I don't know who does the hiring but they do a great job finding personable people who love their jobs.

Nice tidy rooms, mine had a lovely views of the lake.

Where to begin. My mother and grandmother recently stayed at the Drake. I also ended up staying the night with them. This was the most stressful and disappointing stay imaginable. The first room, was dirty. The sheets were dirty, the towels were dirty. The second day, after complaining about the room. They promised to do a deep clean. Granted the sheets and towels were clean. However, for being so deep, there was still old food and wrappers in the drawers. Third day. The room was flooded with cigarette smoke. Granted you can't control everything and this is unfortunate. Forth day. My grandmother pajamas go missing. Now they are white and got mixed up with sheets. They were never found and no replacement or even apology was issued. Fifth day. Cigarette smoke hits again and broken glass and dirty cutlery outside their room. They finally move us to another room. This room is much improved. Day 6,7,8 go smoothly. Until my grandmother has a mini stroke. This is where I enter. I needed to stop with my mum. We go to the front desk after an incredibly long day and ask for water. They woman behind the counter looks blankly and says she has none. At this point I'm done. You don't have any bottled water in this whole establishment? Well yes ma'am in the kitchen. Well perhaps you can pick up the phone, use some initiative and get some sent to the room. Oh yes of course ma'am. This is basic customer service. Oh by the way did you find my grandmothers pajamas? Oh no we haven't looked though. Awesome. Great job. We ordered room service. I got kraft mac and cheese for $9, really? It was overpriced and over cooked. The staff in the bar Coq au van: Were miserable and incompetent. We ordered tea and he forgot the tea bags and spilt boiling water over the table. The bar man has as much personality as a shoe box. The high tea was ok, it was not traditional but then it is hard to do. One of the door men was also racist and thought it was quite ok to tell us how he hated turbans and anyone who wears them. This was quite honestly the worst and most disappointing experience. My mouthed even said she would of preferred to stay at the hospital. You have not lived up to your reputation and I am truly appalled by your service and your establishment.

The lobby is the most magnificent in all of downtown Chicago. Every year during Christmas time, their holiday display is outstanding which includes a train. This place is also the meeting place for Michigan Avenue Toastmasters on Tuesday nights. (guests welcome)

For any geeks who are reading this, check pong-like elevator monitors.

Amazing hotel. Very nicely appointed. Staff has been very friendly, always willing to help. Hotel is beautiful, tons of history.

I love this historic hotel with it's great view of Oak street beach and Lake Shore drive. The suites are worth the upgrade, especially the lakeview rooms. Really nice executive lounge too.

One of the most historic hotels in the city. Great conference space and you can stay in the Princess Diana suite. This is just one of the most beautiful hotels and I recommend stopping by for tea as well.

You will have to call a day of head of time so they can give you reservations to stay in that hotel room.

I did New Years a couple years ago here. Had a great time.

The location of the drake was perfect and easy to get to everywhere I needed to. The bell hops and reception staff are friendly.

Try the Express Deal on Priceline! Choose Magnificent Mile, 4 star hotels. We got a nice and cozy queen room for $104/night.

Peace of mind with excellent service and friendly staff

This hotel is elegant and the people who work there are very nice. Would recommend it to everyone.

We were to check-in on Friday 14th of July.Do to a situation with my boyfriend credit card we wasn't able to check-in. We left the hotel.So the next day his check is account they charge his account for a room we wasn't staying. We back home now and they are still took money out again after the manager stated they were going to refund his money.Plus poor customer service.

Beautiful old building. Cleanliness of rooms terrible both times I've stayed.

A world apart; a sanctuary in a busy city; attentive service in a gracious environment. A must do when in Chicago.

High taxes, very expensive, slow bellman...took almost an hour for him to come get bags to check out of there. The dust (dirt) under tv stand was almost 1/4 inch thick, no kidding. Room needed vacuumed... snips all over. Manager thought our wait for the bell man was acceptable because it was the day after Christmas. He only refunded $50 of our $500+ bill. Oh yeah, the vallet parking was $68 per night, and the attendant scuffed my brand new car two places getting in and out with his shoes. Will never stay here again.

One of the best Chicago has to offer. Incredible ballrooms.

Was staying over in Chicago just one night with friends. We got a beautiful room with 2 beds, 2 bathrooms and a sitting area. The staff was very helpful and accommodating. Great place to stay!

Great rooms, friendly staff, got a late check out and a room upgrade

Very hospitable staff. The hotel is charming in it's decor and history, located conveniently at the northern end of the "magnificent mile." Would definitely come back again.

We went on a whim to Chicago. As soon as I saw the building, I knew we had to stay. Impeccable service, beautiful room, extremely courteous staff. We've stayed any many hotels all over the country. Hilton brand is our favorite, but no hotel has compared to The Drake!

Beautiful old hotel, very nice bar with friendly well trained staff.

Nice but very old and needs good cleaning and some update in the suites.

Great cozy bar with live 3pc band creates an enjoyable atmosphere.

My only criticism is that the lounge is not wheelchair user accessible

Look, the Drake is all class. The rooms aren't great, but it's about the experience. Valet is basically robbery, so pay attention to their online specials. Coq d'Or was my favorite part, except all of the specialty bourbon listed on the menu...weren't available.

A nice boutique hotel, The Drake is in a perfect location and has comfortable rooms.

Heating needs to be improved for these cold Chicago wintets so that the room can heat faster and get warmer. For most people it won't be a problem, but I like a really warm rooms.

Bathroom has mildew in tub caulk. Toilet seat loose. Really ! Water pressure in sink weak. Chipped wood on bathroom door. Not what I would expect from a hotel once considered to be one of Chicago's best. Paid for the upgrade to have a view which was well worth it. Staff very friendly at front desk. Concierge very helpful. Beautiful old hotel with a wonderful history. Not sure I will return. If you can't provide a guest at a high end hotel a clean, functional bathroom it detracts from everything positive.

I attended a conference here, and was impressed with their service all around. All the meals were quite good, and the variety was impressive--from quiche, to masala, to Chicago style hotdogs, and with desserts almost too cute to eat (such as a tiramisu in a edible tiny chocolate mug). The rooms were lovely and well equipped for all your conference needs, and the service all around was attentive and thoughtful. I remember the host during meals wandering the dining room asking folks if they needed anything or if they had any dietary restriction that he could better accommodate, keeping all trays well stocked, and sharing a bright and friendly demeanor with the crowd. Great place, would certainly recommend it.

Loved the whole interior. No wi-fi access was kinda bummer though

THIEVES. I left things in the room that were found by the staff mid December. Paid 90$ to the hotel to get my items shipped with guaranteed 2 day delivery. Then never heard back. I ve called and emailed 4 times with no response. Would NEVER recommend this hotel and will never return. For a stellar experience I recommend the JW Marriott instead.

Always a pleasure!!! Highly recommend!
A++++

One of the main selling points for booking a room here was the fact that many rooms have two bathrooms. With multiple teenage daughters, this was a key. The family rooms with two bathrooms have ample room. The hotel is great. Staff is great. Location is great, right on Michigan Ave. and near many shops, coffee, restaurants, etc.

Very historical and nice hotel. Did not stay the night, so I can't speak for the rooms, but the atmosphere was very classic but not run down.

Okay would enjoy going there and then last night she said been Chicago I walk back one day

The drinks were very goodand solid value. The lounge had an awesome flower arrangement in the middle too.

This hotel was very nice. The rooms were clean and had a great design. The designers of this place went the extra mile and even covered the HVAC units to give them a built-in look. The bathroom has a great walk-in shower. The staff were friendly and the breakfast was good as well.

Went to the Drake after dinner for some drinks. Fun environment with love band. I got a vodka soda, nothing special, but it was made strong the way it should be.

The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. Our suite was clean, comfortable and in a great location! The hotel has such an amazing historic feel to it & dining was top notch as well! We will definitely stay again!

The Drake is an old-world elegance mixed nicely in the liveliness of the city. A classic.

Real old-school hotel. Wide hallways and small rooms. Lobby is elegant but smaller than I expected. Glorious flower arrangements.

My wife and I stayed here the weekend of the Black Tie Event at the Chicago Auto Show. Great Friendly Staff, Clean room with a great view, the Bar area was up scale but still a lot of fun and a great place to unwind with friends.

Staff was amazing, clean as hell very nice place overall

Beautiful decor. Authentic old world feel. Food was average

Home early okay but the concern is that we had to complain with a neighborhood very noisy we were changed rooms but in bad conditions a girl pretended to understand nothing we are not bilingual but still more miss It is allowed to raise the tone in France it does not happen to know how to live it learns. ..c is the second and last time in this hotel when the service is not improved it feels like disturbing them and then the staff blows nothing to ask them something .... We are disappointed the coffee is despicable a sock juice that says in the United States it is normal when at breakfast we have only industrial bread like last year and the breakfast is not balanced at all except the fruits that are good and good waffles that are made rare ah those who have back pain go your way bedding hard. .... The head of the breakfast is hypocritical and unpleasant the brunette the blonde she learned to smile she is charming when the waiters they all make the head and have no sense of service.

A great venue for my medical conference. The hotel has a grand entrance and lobby, the conference rooms were large and elegant and the servers effective but non intrusive. The rooms do show their age but this adds to the character of the hotel. The food was very good throughout the day and everything was very clean. I will definitely return!

Went for a professional development class. The hotel is beautiful and the staff was very accommodating with our needs for the class. Definitely recommend!

Older building With no/low reception indoors the wifi was not open and publicly available it drained my phone very very fast.

A Grand lady of historic hotels. Kept as authentic as I've seen at a vintage location. It REEKS of class and charm.

The staff here at the Drake is top notch! They went above and beyond to make sure we were treated royally! Even the doorman that was newly hired was seemed to understand the Drake culture and could communicate it. Well done!

No water to rooms, toilet and sink, and management is doing a horrible job of informing clients. Should be replaced.

Spent our wedding night here and it did not disappoint! The check in process was very easy and the front desk was super helpful! They gave us a complimentary upgrade and sent us chocolate covered strawberries.

It was snowing, so we decided to stay in and order room service. Had the pizza and a burger and both were very good! Next morning we had the buffet breakfast and that was amazing! We plan on returning as often as we can!

Nice hotel and location but some of the staff are on strike and were picketing outside and banging a drum starting around 6:30 AM.

I love coming for high tea to the palm court and their masquarade ball in October was a lot of fun.

The venue was good and was able to accommodate all attendees. Bathrooms are clean. I wish there were more outlets to plug into for mobile devices.

Classis Chicago. High tea on Sunday is a must. Cocktails on point. Check in easy and quick. Old school is sometimes the best school.

Worst hotel ever! In summary, I woke up at 1am to a drunk man with keys to my room. Yes, they gave a stranger keys to my room. Management also didn't respond well, telling me not to worry, they would change the keys.

This hotel is a prime example of poor value. You pay over $300 a night and get the experience of a $50 per night.
Our rooms were what I would expect from a 2-star hotel. Crack on the ceiling, doors make loud noises when opened or closed. Lots of dust and spider webs on the windows.
When we complained about this, the staff member at the front desk said they'll add points to our account as compensation. He never did.
Terrible experience, will not stay again.

Beautiful building! Food and drinks were excellent. The booking process was frustrating. On our cell, they offered a Park and Stay package. We opted to call rather than type payment info via cell. They didn't offer the same package we called. Shame to penalize a customer conscience of security. They upgraded us to a lakeside view room when we voiced our frustration. A pleasant surprise. Here's the view.

High Tea at the Drake, in Palm Court, is wonderful. I treat my mom to tea every year for her birthday and it is always a special experience!

Excellent bar, old fashioned very good. Good vibes with the love music

Amazing tea service , I have been coming here for years it was like my 2nd living room for 15 years ..... great staff very elegant

Classic, Grand, elegant hotel in a superb location with outstanding, friendly helpful staff. High Tea is a Chicago tradition and not to be missed. Love this hotel!